A Very Vampire Christmas
by Xtyne
Summary: Christmas companion piece to Make This Go On Forever/Half of My Heart series. It was their first Christmas all together. For Ellie, this was a special holiday. But for Eric, he finds himself part of an inner battle concerning certain feelings.


**A/N:** Merry christmas and happy holidays! I couldn't go through christmas without giving everyone a little present! this is a companion piece to my Make This Go On Forever/Half of My Heart series, but you wouldn't technically need to have read that in order to understand this (though it wouldn't hurt lol). This takes place a few months after the whole Russell stuff, but I havent put anything in here that would ruin my plans for the end of Half of My Heart. Hope you all enjoy this bit of christmas cheer, and I hope everyone has a great holiday!

* * *

**A Very Vampire Christmas**

Elizabeth Cole, otherwise known as Ellie unless one had a death wish or was a 2000 year old vampire, sat only feet away from the large flat screen television, her grin wide, her hands holding a steaming mug of hot chocolate close to her body. Her eyes never left the television, oblivious to all that was going on around her. She let out an airy laugh every so often, or a gushing sound that made the blonde vampire leaning against the living room door cringe in disgust. Eric Northman could not understand the dark haired girl currently sitting in his home, watching some cartoon that made absolutely no sense to the Viking. Nor did he find the decorations she had forced around the house appealing. He envisioned ripping them down the moment she escaped to her bedroom each night. He wondered why he hadn't done such a thing. But as a short cough came from beside him, Eric was reminded of the reason behind his behaving.

"This is ridiculous, Godric." Eric grunted, his eyes narrowing as a long 'aw' emitted from inside the room. "Why are we allowing this?"

"Perhaps you need some Christmas cheer, Eric." A playful smirk crossed Godric's lips. "She is happy, should we not rejoice about that?"

"My house has been destroyed." Eric eyes the red and green garland with displeasure. "I'm not pleased."

"Can you truly destroy her happiness by making her take it all down?" Godric raised an eyebrow at his progeny. "She has been through enough pain, Eric. Pain that we both helped caused. The least we can do is let her enjoy this small moment."

Eric scowled but didn't say a word as Godric shook his head and entered the room, taking a seat beside the grinning woman. He watched as the two spoke, Ellie throwing her head back in laughter, her long hair cascading down her back. Eric growled and narrowed his eyes as Ellie wrapped a hand around Godric's arm and laid her head on his shoulder. The blonde Viking had the sudden urge to storm over and rip the two apart. She was his; she wasn't supposed to be touched by _anyone_.

"Eric?" a soft voice called to him.

Eric blinked away the rage, focusing on the green eyes that were boring into him. He grunted in response, his arms crossing over his broad chest. He tried to look bored, like he didn't care that she was sitting so close to his maker. But by the questioning look she sent him, it was obvious that he had failed.

"I'll be right back." Ellie lightly kissed Godric's cheek before pushing herself up onto her feet.

Eric saw red the moment her lips pressed against Godric's skin. The muscles in his arms tensed while his fangs clicked out, anger getting the better of the vampire.

"Eric?" a small hand was placed on his chest, confused green eyes staring up at him. "What's wrong? You're emotions are making me dizzy."

Eric had nearly forgotten about their blood bond. "Fine, I'm fine."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Funny, I don't believe that."

"I said I was fine." He turned his head to the side, pushing her hand off of his chest.

"Well aren't you a Grinch?" Ellie rolled her eyes. "Why don't you join us, have some fun for once. It's Christmas Eve and there's still a butt load of movies to..."

"Enough Ellie." Eric snapped. "I want everything taken down in the next hour."

Ellie's mouth dropped open. "What? But Eric..."

"I gave you an order." His eyes flashed to her, blazing with anger. "Do it."

"Eric..." she reached out to him but he simply slinked away from her and in a blink of an eye, he was out of sight.

Ellie sighed, her head bowing as she turned back around. She felt a finger under her chin, lifting her gaze up to meet Godric's.

"I'll speak with him." He assured her, caressing her cheek.

"No, it's fine. It's his house, I just took it over." She shrugged sadly. "You're vampires, not humans. I should have gone over to Sookie's if I wanted to celebrate."

"This is your home too."

"It's never been my home Godric." She blinked back the tears. "I should have just left after everything happened. Would have made things easier for everyone."

"Elizabeth..."

"I'm just going to take it all down and go to bed." She brushed passed him, a hand reaching up brush away a stray tear.

Godric sighed and shook his head, watching as Ellie slowly began to pull down the decorations she had spent days putting up. There was a rise of anger within his chest, and within seconds, he found himself standing inside Eric's office in the basement, glaring darkly down at his progeny.

"I'm disappointed in you, my child." Godric crossed his arms as Eric refused to look up at him. "You crushed her."

"Good."

"Have you forgotten about the last few months? About the nightmare that girl was forced to live through?" Godric's eyes were narrowed into slits as his hands gripped the edge of the desk tightly. "She deserves this."

"It's my home." Eric's eyes rose to meet Godric's briefly before quickly looking away, unable to take the glare his maker was sending him.

"And she is the woman that you love." Godric hissed. "She has given up everything because all she wishes is to be with you. She could be living a normal life, but she doesn't want to."

"She'll never live a normal life, Godric. She's the god damn Phoenix!" Eric sat back in his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I will not give her special treatment because so."

"I had thought you had grown from being a heartless monster." Godric shook his head in disappointment. "You are pushing her away, my child. We will lose her forever if you continue to do so."

"I don't care." Eric's jaw hardened, a blank expression crossing his face.

"Perhaps you should begin to." Godric wanted to grab his child by the shoulders and shake him, yell at him that he was being ridiculous. But he knew his progeny; he knew how stubborn and hard headed he was. He had helped in creating such characteristics. But this, the remorseful actions Eric continued towards Ellie, was not something he condoned. Godric cared deeply for the girl, and while they were mixed at times, he could not just stand there and watch as every ounce of happiness is ripped out of her life. And by his own progeny.

"She loves you, my child. She wouldn't hesitate to spend the next century by your side should you allow it. But continue down this road, and she will leave, I can guarantee you that. For both of our sakes, do not let that happen." Godric stared pointedly at his progeny before shaking his head and straightening. He couldn't do much more. Eric would need to work this out himself in his own way. Godric only hoped that he did so before time ran out and Ellie made the decision to leave. He wasn't sure how he would fare should she decide to leave. She had been the reason he hadn't met the sun all those months ago in Dallas. Despite what may have occurred between the two of them over the past few months, he found that Ellie brought hope into his once dark and useless existence. She was his light.

Eric kept his stare away from his maker, though watching him out the corner of his eye as Godric shook his head and walked out of the room at a normal pace. He listened closely, waiting until the door to his resting place was closed before he let the mask he had built up fall to pieces. Eric let out a long sigh as he ran a hand down his face, his eyes closing as Godric's words set in. He hated how that stupid little human made him feel. One moment he wanted to rip her to pieces, and the next he wanted to push her against the nearest wall and ravish her. He refused to admit that it was anything more than that, that Ellie hadn't penetrated his still heart. He had been a Viking in his former life, he was _the_ Eric Northman. He could not elicit feelings for such a feeble thing. Yes, she was quite possibly the most powerful being in the world should she acknowledge such strength. But to him, she will always be the same weak little girl he had found inside of that motel room, nearly raped and killed.

"You stupid, stupid girl." Eric muttered to himself, leaning forward in his seat, his elbows resting on the tops of his knees.

He tried to rid Ellie from his mind, erase every forbidden thought he had about her. But all he could concentrate on were those sad green eyes when he had demanded that she return the house to its original appearance. The sadness he had felt in their bond, the sadness he could still feel, it nearly knocked him over in strength. He had to grit his teeth, clench his fists, just to remain in that room. He would seem weak if he sought her out, begging for her forgiveness. But the longer he sat there all alone, thinking about the way her soft hair fell against the curves of her back, the way that her hips moved whenever she walked, the way that her smile lit up an entire room, he couldn't help but find himself regretting his actions.

"No." He grunted, shaking his head lightly. "She's just a weakling."

But Eric knew that was far from the truth. He had seen her powers, watched the mysterious strength that she possessed. She didn't understand how to wield such power, but that did not stop the rapid emotions of hers from charging her powers. She had killed a demon herself, a feat not even he could attest to doing over the thousand years he's been alive. And she did so without a second thought. She had not cared that she could have died, that she could have met a worst fate. She simply walked into battle with her head held high, ready to defend the lives of her beloveds and kill the bastard. He would never admit it out loud, and especially not to her, but he had admired her courage that night.

"Damnit." Eric growled, his clenched fists tightening as his thoughts betrayed him. He wanted to control the urge, but he found that he could no longer. He could not take sitting there as the sadness grew exponentially. The guilt was eating him up, a sensation he had never felt before.

It was not long before the tall blonde was stretching out of the chair and strutting out of the room. He held an inner argument with his conscious, one that he lost terribly as he found himself leaving the confines of his resting place. He searched the first floor for the girl, but found nothing but a house void of anything to do with Christmas. For a moment he was pleased, before that is, remembering the devastated girl that was driving the vampire insane in ways he never thought possible.

As he made his way up to the second floor and to the hallway just outside of her door, Eric fell to a stop as he heard the sound of talking.

"_I...I shouldn't even be surprised. It's just...I really wanted this Sookie."_ Ellie sniffed, a sign that she was trying to contain her tears.

"_I'm sorry Ellie."_ Eric could vaguely hear Sookie's voice emitting from the phone Ellie was obviously speaking through. _"You're welcome here tomorrow, you know that."_

"_I know."_ Ellie sighed. _"I...you know one of the only memories I have of my parents was at our last Christmas all together."_

"_Really?"_ Sookie sounded as surprised as Eric felt.

"_Yeah. I don't remember much about them, but I do remember that Christmas. It was just so...happy. That's what I remember, just being happy."_ Eric could feel a different wave of sadness from the girl as she thought about her deceased parents. _"After they died, my brother always made sure Christmas was extra special, you know? We didn't have much but...Christmas was always amazing. We would go out, find the biggest tree, and decorate it all night long. I would always help with Christmas dinner, which ended up feeding us for two weeks because it was only the two of us."_

"_Sounds perfect."_

"_It was. We didn't have a lot of money, but that never seemed to stop us. I loved Christmas because of him. He always did everything he could to make me happy. After...after he died...well, I just couldn't do it, celebrate Christmas."_

"_It hurt too much." _Sookie assumed.

"_Exactly. It didn't feel right. I didn't have anyone to celebrate with. Everyone I cared about was dead. I didn't really have any close friends, so it was just me. So I just pretended like Christmas didn't exist, which was the hardest thing in the world to do."_

"_Why decide to celebrate now then?"_

"_Because I was stupid to believe that anyone actually cared about me." _Eric could hear the pain in her voice. _"This is the first time in years I felt like I had somewhat of a family again. Friends that I cared about, you know? Even after everything that's happened, I actually felt happy for the first time in years. I just thought...maybe if I do this, maybe all that happiness would come back for good. Maybe I could let go of the past and begin new traditions. It's stupid. I mean it's not like they care. Godric maybe, but not Eric. He...he doesn't care at all."_

"_I don't think that's true."_ Eric straightened at Sookie's comment. _"I just think he doesn't know how to show that he cares. He's been an emotionless dick for over a thousand years. I'm sure he's not sure how to handle feeling what he does about you."_

"_Right." _Ellie scoffed. _"The minute Eric starts caring is when hell freezes over."_

"_Look, come over tomorrow. Don't let Eric ruin this for you. We'll celebrate Christmas together."_

"_You don't mind?"_

"_Of course not."_

Eric blocked out the rest of the conversation as he slowly moved away from the bedroom door, his eyes slightly unfocused as Ellie's confession set in. He had never truly thought about the pain she had gone through before she entered his and Godric's life. Her parents, her brother, everyone she had ever cared about had been taken away from her. Eric felt the resemblance of pity for the girl. To this day, he still remembered what he had felt the moment he realized his entire had been brutally murdered. His mother, his father, his baby sister, they had all died. The pain still stung in the thousand year old vampire. Eric may not understand many human emotions, or care at all about them. But that pain, he could understand. He felt it every day.

"I shouldn't care." Eric muttered as he ran a hand through his slicked back blonde hair.

But he did care. He found himself caring more than he ever should. To the point, that the moment he had heard Ellie click her phone off, Eric was pulling his own out of his pocket. Shaking his head, partly hating himself for the thoughts roaming through his head, he zipped down to his resting place and made the call he was hesitant to make.

"_Hello?"_

"Miss. Stackhouse..."

* * *

Ellie groaned as she woke up late in the afternoon on Christmas day. She could care less that she had slept most of the day away. She wasn't expected at Sookie's until closer to dinner and there wasn't any point to even try and celebrate here. Eric had made it perfectly clear that he didn't care that this holiday was important to her. Not that he knew the significance, but should that even matter? After everything that happened with Russell, and Jeffrey, and everything else, she thought that Eric had...well matured somewhat. But that was just wishful thinking. Eric would never care about her the way that she cared about him. She should have just attempted to be with Godric, even though she knew that he was still not over the former love of his life, Kyra. But Ellie knew in her heart that she couldn't have done that. Her stupid stupid heart belonged to Eric Northman, and nothing seemed to change that.

"Merry Christmas to me." She grunted, rolling over onto her side, only to hear the crumpling of paper.

Frowning, Ellie reached a hand under her to pull out a wrinkled piece of paper.

_Get dressed and come downstairs_

_E_

Ellie's eyebrows shot up into her hairline as she reread the note a good ten times before giving up trying to understand it. She had half a mind to ignore his request and stay in bed until she was required to head over to Sookie's. But she knew that would just cause more problems and she wanted at least a somewhat decent day to come out of all this. So she threw back the bed sheets and pulled herself off of the bed. She padded over to the closet and slid the door open. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a dress she had never seen before hanging in front of everything else, a note attached to the hanger.

_Put this on_

She didn't need to guess who had written the note, the scrawl screaming Eric Northman. Her eyes roamed over the dress, awed at the beauty of it. It was a bright teal, with a hint of green hues throughout. There was one strap attached to the tight bodice, a black and silver belt to accentuate the waist before the skirt of the dress flared out to a slight bubble hem that fell to mid thigh. It was absolutely beautiful. Both Godric and Eric had doted on her in the past, Eric always wanting her to be presentable when appearing at Fangtasia. However, this time it felt different. This time, seeing that dress sitting in her closet, it meant something more than just a simple present.

The slight part of her that wanted to defy Eric quickly vanished as her curiosity got the better of her. Without hesitating, she pulled the dress off of the hanger and undressed out of her pyjamas. The moment she had the dress on, fitting her body perfectly as if it were a second skin, Ellie just couldn't stop peering at herself in the mirror. There were many times when Ellie didn't think of herself as anything other than plain. But in that dress, she felt like the most beautiful woman in the woman. Smiling to herself, she ran a brush through her long dark hair before deeming it decent enough and began towards the door. Leaving the confines of her room, she glanced around the hallway for any signs of life before shrugged and walking to the stairs. She was stopped dead in her tracks however, when she saw the intertwining blue and silver glittering tinsel wrapped around the stair banister. She blinked, thinking she was just seeing things. But she wasn't. Those were most definitely Christmas decorations.

"What the..." She ran a hand through her hair, eying the tinsel closely before slowly walking down the stairs and to the first floor. The moment her feet touched the ground floor, her nose flared at the delicious smell she was met with. It was not usual to smell something that resembled food when she wasn't the one cooking it. But it didn't smell like any old thing, oh no, it smelt exactly like the greatest thing in the world; turkey. Her mouth was salivating, almost wanting to follow the wafting smell into the kitchen. But before she could, the living room caught her eye and she curiously wandered over to the doorway.

"How in the world..." she breathed out in amazement as she stepped into the room, her entire being shocked as she turned in every direction. Hovering over her and throughout the entire room were dangling Christmas lights twinkling a bright blue. She even had to duck to move closer to the other side of the room, where she was surprised to find a large tree set up. Not even in her preparation for Christmas had she gotten a tree, knowing that would have been over the top for the vampires. But there a tree sat, decorated in not only lights and tinsel, but actual ornaments. None of it made sense to Ellie as she gazed at the tree, her mouth gaping open. She had made sure every Christmas decoration had been taken down, and inevitably, thrown out before she had gone to her room and called Sookie to complain. Who had done this? Godric? It did seem like something he would have done.

But that note, and the dress she was currently wearing, reminded her that it couldn't have been Godric. Not completely anyways. Eric had known about this. After his scrooge type attitude last night, he had ended up doing this. Ellie wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or attempt pinching herself to wake up from this obvious dream.

"What is this..." She muttered to herself, fingering one of the ornaments carefully.

"Christmas, the last time I checked." A voice sounded from the doorway.

Ellie's hand snapped off the ornament as she twisted around, only to find Eric now standing before her, a bit too close. She craned her neck to stare up at him, no words able to leave her mouth as she tried to think of what to say.

"You...you did..."

"Don't." He shook his head, laying a finger over her plump lips. "Do not ask why I did this. I will not give you an answer, simply because I do not know why."

His thumb ran across the soft skin of her cheek, her eyes fluttering closed at the touch. Eric marvelled how she looked in the dress. She was even more stunning than she was normally, and that was a hard feat. She could look like a mess and he would still find her beauty immaculate. It frightened the Viking, thinking in such a way about such a small little girl. But he could not help himself. When he was around Ellie, all of his horrid, monstrous thoughts completely vanished. All he could think about was her.

"Eric..." her eyes finally reopened, green sparkling orbs staring into his. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw a drop of blood emitting from his nose. "Eric you're bleeding."

He simply raised a hand to wipe the blood away, not caring that he had spent the entire day putting this together.

"Have you...have you rested at all?" She asked worriedly.

"It does not matter." He cupped her cheek.

"You did all of this..." her heart swelled, tears beginning to prick her eyes. "All of this just for me?"

"Yes." His thumb ran over her lips, causing them to tremble slightly. He enjoyed the reaction he got whenever he touched her.

"But...it's day." She closed her eyes again for a brief moment, losing her train of thoughts as Eric's other hand met with the curve of her back, his fingers lightly dancing up the back of the dress and onto her bare shoulder. "You have the bleeds."

"I do not care." He answered, wanting to touch every inch of the girl before him. He wanted to take her right then and there, but he stopped himself from doing so. There would be time for that later.

"But I do." She reached a hand up to grasp the hand that was cupping her cheek. "Eric..."

"Shh." He shook his head, tugging her even closer. He needed to feel her against him.

"You need to sleep, Eric." She insisted, taking in a sharp breath as she felt Eric's arousal against her. Oh how she wanted him. "You...you did this for me. I don't know why but...but I don't want to enjoy it if you're bleeding all over the place."

Eric sighed, tipping her head up towards him. He was about to refuse, assuring her that he would be fine. But the green orbs staring back at him made him reconsider. How had he gotten to the point that he could no longer refuse this girl's every whim? He was turning into a lovesick puppy and he hated every minute of it.

And yet, there was nothing that could possibly change this new aspect in the Viking.

"The moment the sun sets, I will awake." He lowered his lips onto her forehead softly.

Ellie smiled, though desperately wished for those lips to be elsewhere. She contemplated taking action into her own hands, but before she could, his hands were removed off of her and he was no longer standing before her. In fact, he had disappeared all together. She couldn't stop the large grin that was on her lips, surprised that she could feel this happy.

"I thought I heard you." Another voice sounded from the doorway.

Ellie looked over in surprise, finding Sookie standing there with a grin of her own on her face, an apron around her waist.

"Sookie?" She raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Eric called." She shrugged. "Not even five minutes after we hung up, he called and asked me for my help."

"Help?"

Sookie nodded. "I think he heard our conversation and felt bad for ruining your Christmas. Like I told you, he cares for you Ellie. I don't think he could take you being so upset."

"So he called you to help him do all of this." Ellie looked around the room, still amazed at the effort.

"I scrounged around to get whatever decorations I could from home and Sam helped with the tree." She explained.

"Wait...the turkey that I smelt when I came downstairs, that's you too?"

"Eric never mentioned it, but you can't have Christmas without a turkey and mashed potatoes." Sookie smiled brightly. "I already had everything ready to go, so I didn't mind at all."

"But Sookie...you didn't need to ruin your Christmas just for me." Ellie began to feel guilty.

"Nonsense. I love Christmas, but this means a lot to you." Sookie assured.

"Well...then I insist you have to stay." Ellie decided. "We were already planning to spend Christmas together, so I refuse to let you go without eating your own Christmas dinner."

Sookie chuckled at the younger girl's insistence. "I'm sure you'll tie me down before I could even make it to the front door."

"Damn straight." Ellie grinned. "Thank you Sookie. Without you..."

"Don't even mention it." Sookie walked over and gave her a hug. "But this...this is all Eric. I brought the stuff, but he was the one who spent the last few hours making sure everything was perfect."

"Really?" Ellie was surprised.

"He cares about you, Ellie. For whatever reason, he wanted this day to be special." Sookie squeezed her shoulders. "I better get back into the kitchen."

"I'll come with." Ellie offered. "Keep you company."

The two left the room, arm in arm, with smiles on both of their faces.

* * *

It was only a few hours later when Ellie found herself sitting on the basement stairs, waiting for Eric to rise. She had been sitting there for a good hour, her eyes often wandering over to where the security code was to be punched in. She was beginning to wish that she had watched him the many times he had brought her into his resting place, beginning to feel impatient as she waited for him. She thought she could hear movement on the other side of the thick metal door, but she was sure it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She was just too excited to see the vampire again, her hormones wild with desire.

Ellie tried to understand why Eric had done this. She was still not set on the fact that he cared for her in the way Sookie was definite of. But this...this had most definitely made Ellie think that he did indeed care for her somewhat. It was only last night that he was barking at her to take all the decorations down, for Ellie to get her head out of the clouds. And then he turns around and does this, gives her a Christmas. Why? Sookie had said he called her, asking for her help, but what had really led the vampire to doing so.

And that's when it hit her. Sookie told her that he must have heard their conversation. He had been listening in when she was telling Sookie the reason Christmas meant so much to her. He had heard every word she had spoken about her parents and her brother. And then he did all of this. Had he really given her a Christmas because of what she had said, because of what it meant to her? It didn't seem likely, but the proof was all there.

"What are you doing sitting there?"

Ellie nearly jumped when Eric's voice broke her out of her thoughts. She quickly stood, pushing down her dress and gazed up at him. Even as she stood on a few stairs above him, he still towered over her.

"Hi." She greeted shyly.

"How long have you been sitting there?" he questioned.

"Long enough to consider the probability of getting your security code right." She admitted, a smile playing on her lips.

"I'm surprised to find you not trying." He smirked.

"I was seconds away from it."; her eyes roamed over him, surprised to find that Eric was dressed in something other than his usual attire. "You look...you look nice."

It was the truth. He was wearing black dress pants, the suit jacket matching. Staying true to himself, he wore a black button up shirt, though the first few buttons were undone. Even though the black caused his skin to glow even paler, he looked amazing. It was rare to find him so dressed up, having only seen it once or twice since knowing him. But here he was, yet another effort to make this day even more special. Now more than ever she just wanted to jump him.

"I don't believe I told you how exquisite you look." His arm slid around her waist, tugging her against him.

Her face flushed, her hands moving up to his chest, her fingers gliding over the fabric of the shirt.

"I would rip this dress off of you right now if I didn't think it looked amazing on you." He whispered huskily into her ear, nipping lightly at the lobe.

She had to bite back a moan as he laid a set of kisses long the curve of her neck before he pulled back.

"We should go upstairs."

Ellie nodded wordlessly and turned to head up the stairs. She stopped for a moment however, before clasping his hand in hers and began up the stairs. There was a smile threatening to form across Eric's lips, and it took everything in his power to stop it.

"I was beginning to wonder where you two were." A voice met them at the top of the stairs.

Ellie gazed at the 2000 year old vampire, and appreciated just how nice he looked as well.

"Did you..." she began to ask him.

Godric shook his head, smiling at her before glancing up at his child. Eric wouldn't look him in the eye, an obvious clue that this had been his entire idea. Godric was not sure if his words had helped Eric's decision, or if it were for another reason, but nonetheless he was happy. He could feel the happiness Ellie was feeling at the moment, and it was clear in her eyes. He hadn't seen her this happy in a long time, perhaps even at all. He wanted to preserve this moment for as long as he could.

"Sorry to interrupt, but everything is ready." Sookie popped her head out of the kitchen.

Ellie sniffed and nearly melted at how delicious everything smelt. She immediately began tugging Eric's hand behind her as she pulled him down the hall and into the kitchen. She was surprised to find the kitchen table decked out, complete with dinnerware Ellie wasn't even aware they had. She chuckled when she saw two crystal wine glasses filled with what she suspected to be true blood, while two plates were nearly overflowing with everything a Christmas dinner was supposed to include.

"And what is so funny?" Eric asked, his hand leaving hers and rising up her back.

"Who would have thought that two humans and two vampires were going to have Christmas dinner together." She snorted.

Eric couldn't stop the smile the crossing his lips this time as he stared down at the content girl. The simplest thing seemed to make her happy, and he found himself wanting to keep that smile on her lips for as long as humanly possible.

* * *

Eric stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting on Ellie who had excused herself from the living room only moments before. He was worried that she was upset, and had thought to follow her, leaving Sookie and Godric in the living room to watch whatever movie Ellie had insisted on watching. Before he could make a move up the stairs however, he caught sight of her making her way down, one hand behind her back. He was frozen to the spot as he watched the curves of her body, the length of her legs. He could not wait until he could finally rip that dress off of her and take her like had wanted to all night. But he was biding his time, wanting to cherish every moment with her.

"hey." She flashed him a smile. "You're supposed to be in the living room."

"I was about to check on you."

"I was just getting something." She toyed with the wrapped present behind her back, her eyes dancing as she watched the curiosity cross his eyes. He tried to peer around her, but she quickly hopped back, wagging her finger at him playfully. "No peeking."

He could have easily grabbed whatever it was that she was keeping from him, but he played along, letting her have her fun. Remembering his own last surprise, he held out a hand for her to take.

"Come with me."

"But the others..." she looked towards the living room.

"They can amuse themselves." He assured. "I have a surprise for you."

"Another?" She sounded surprised. "Eric, you've already done so much."

Eric simply grasped her hand and began to lead her to the front door. Ellie raised an eyebrow, wondering why he was leading her outside. She slipped on the dark grey pea coat Eric handed her and allowed for him to take her outside.

"Eric, where are we...oh!" Ellie's eyes widened as they stepped out onto the porch.

Clear twinkling lights not only lined the porch, but were hung dipping down around them as they stood in the middle of the wooden porch. Adding to the stars in the clear night sky, it was absolutely beautiful.

"Did you do this?" she asked him.

"The dog did per my request." He answered, his eyes solely on her.

Ellie momentarily forgot about the present she held in her hand, allowing for Eric to swoop down and steal it from behind her. She blinked and when she realized what had happened, she laughed and rolled her eyes, hitting his chest lightly.

"That might not have been for you."

"Is it not?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Lucky for you it is." She smiled, nodding at him to open it. "I know you don't like Christmas, but I got this for you anyways."

He was surprised at her generosity, knowing he didn't deserve any of it. But at her insistence, he slowly pulled the wrapping paper off of the small box. He tossed the paper to the side, as well as the top of the box, only to find an old worn gold watch sitting on a mess of tissue paper.

"It's not exactly your expensive taste, I know." Ellie chewed on her bottom lip nervously as he lifted the watch to inspect it. "But...it was my fathers, and then my brother's after my parents passed away."

Eric stared from the watch to her curiously.

"My brother meant the world to me." she went on to explain. "I hardly knew my parents, so he was really the only one I had growing up. He always loved that watch because it reminded him of our dad."

"I cannot accept this." Eric shook his head.

"Yes you can." She nodded. "Because you mean the world to me too, Eric. I...I couldn't imagine not having you in my life. You're a pain in the ass and half of the time I wonder why I still stay here. But then I'll look at that watch and remember why. I lost everything when my brother died. I lost a part of myself. But then Godric and you came into my life and...I feel like that part of me has been put back together again."

"You should be giving this to Godric." Eric felt inadequate to receive such a gift. "I do not deserve it."

"You do." She clasped the hand that was holding the watch tenderly. "I...I love you Eric. My brother would have wanted this to go to the person that I loved. As would my father. That person is you, Eric. Most of the time I don't understand why, but it's always been you."

Eric watched as she bowed her head, blinking rapidly to rid the tears he had caught in her eyes. He felt a swell of emotions, not only from her, but from himself. He thought about closing off his bond, not sure if he could handle the emotions they were both feeling. But he knew that he could not. The love he felt from her, it was enough to nearly make him stumble away. He never thought he would feel such love from one individual. He knew Godric loved him, but that was in a way that Eric could understand perfectly. This love that Ellie had for him, he just could not understand it. He didn't deserve it. He was horrid to her. He hurt her both emotionally and physically and yet she was still here, standing before him now. He tried countless of times to push her away, to get her to leave his life, but she never once took the opportunity. If she had wanted to leave, she would have. But she hadn't. She was here, declaring her love her him.

Eric closed his eyes for a moment before remembering the small box he had in his own pocket. He hadn't expected to have anything to give to her on this night, it was never his intention. But when he had found the piece of jewellery hidden in his office, he knew it was the perfect timing.

"I have something for you." He forced out the words, pulling her gaze back up to him.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

He lifted a small velvet box out of his pocket, handing it out to the wide eyed girl. She looked at it as if it were about to catch on fire, awed that he was giving her anything. She hesitantly took the box into her hands, her fingers caressing the material before slowly opening the top. She gasped when she saw the necklace laying in the silk fabric, her eyes snapping up to his.

"Eric..."

He didn't speak as he took the box from her hands and lifted the white gold necklace out. He pocketed the box before letting the necklace dangle in front of her sparkling green eyes. The chain was delicate, leading down to the pendent on the end of the necklace. She was even more surprised when she looked closely to see what appeared to be a magnificent bird, its wings outstretched and attached to the chain.

"I had it made after the incidents from a few months ago." Eric explained, taking her by the shoulders and turning her around. "There has not been an appropriate time to give it to you, until now that is."

"It's beautiful, Eric." She whispered as he lifted her hair to one side.

The aroma of her blood met his nose the moment the pulsing vein in her neck was visible. It took every ounce of self control not to dip his fangs into her soft skin at that very moment. Instead, he focused on placing the necklace around her delicate neck, his fingers clasping the ends of the chain together. Ellie lightly fingered the bird pendent, grazing the elegant engravings. She had never seen anything so beautiful before, and most certainly had never been given anything of the sort.

"Thank you." She went to turn around, but he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her back flush against his chest.

Ellie's eyes closed as Eric's nose nuzzled her bare neck. She wasn't realizing what she was doing as she tilted her head to the side, giving more access to the vampire. His lips danced up and down her neck, lightly nibbling at the skin without the help of fangs. She couldn't control the moan that emitted from her mouth, the sensations she was feeling skyrocketing.

"I love you Eric." She declared for a second time.

She wished with every fibre in her being that he would repeat the words back to her. She knew it would never happen, but as he spoke next, her heart still sank.

"You are mine, lover." Her muttered into her ear.

She should have been happy with that simple phrase. But she wasn't. Eric could feel her disappointment and had an inner struggle with himself. He was a vampire, he could not fell love. He was not supposed to. But what was this bubbling feeling inside of him? Whenever she was around, he felt alive. Her smile was contagious, and all he wanted to do was smile whenever the corners of her lips curved upwards. The feel of her body against his caused so many different reactions, from externally to internally. But this could not be love, because he was a cold heartless monster who could not feel.

How, though, could he explain what he had done today? He had gone against everything he knew, just to give into her whims. He could not take the pain and sadness he had felt emitting from this girl in his arms. It had ripped him to shreds knowing he had caused such pain. Eric wanted her to be happy; he wanted to be the one to do so. And he had. The moment he saw her smiling face, he almost felt his own still heart shake in content. Could that truly be considered love?

But Eric already knew the answer to that. He had known months ago. He had just refused to admit it; he couldn't, not to himself or anyone else for that matter. However, as they stood in the middle of the porch, together and in complete happiness, he found that he no longer cared. The only thing that mattered was the woman in his arms, disappointed and waiting to hear those three little words that pained him to say.

"I..." Eric struggled with the words, having never spoken them. He closed his eyes before allowing himself to continue. "I love you as well, my beautiful phoenix."

Ellie's eyes grew wide, and she was almost certain that she had heard wrong. But those words rang in her ears for the longest time, and she knew that it couldn't have just been a fantasy. She twisted around in Eric's arms to stare up at him. He wouldn't meet her eyes, but she fixed that quickly by taking his face in her hands. She didn't waste a moment as she stood on the tips of her toes, pulling his head down until their lips clashed. Eric was momentarily paralyzed as she crashed her lips against his. But the millisecond passed and he aggressively pulled her against him, passionately responding to the sudden kiss. He roamed his hands over her body with need and desire, his fingers zeroing in on the zipper of the dress. Before he could tug it down however, she pulled away and placed her hands on his chest. He stared down at her questioningly, wondering why she had stopped.

"I'm giving you permission to rip this dress off of me, Mr. Northman." Her grin twisted into a smirk.

Eric's own smirk appeared as he forced his lips against hers. Within only seconds, Ellie found her back flat on a bed, Eric hovering over her.

"Merry Christmas, Eric." She mumbled before his lips silenced her.

Ellie was certain she would never forget this Christmas.


End file.
